Reporter, WA Today

A former Perth radio host who claims Rolf Harris groped her more than a decade ago says that if she had known that the act represented more than “inappropriate behaviour by a grubby old man” she “would have done something”.

As Mr Harris prepares to give evidence at his child abuse trial in the United Kingdom, Jane Marwick has claimed the entertainer groped her in front of people.

Ms Marwick told Radio 6PR that Mr Harris grabbed her breast while posing for a photo after an interview in 2001.

She said it “wasn’t just an accidental bump or bush”.

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The claim comes as Mr Harris prepares to give evidence at his child abuse trial where he is accused of indecently assaulting four girls.

She told the radio station that she had “really, really admired” the ‘boy from Bassendean’.

“He epitomised everything I loved in life, art, humour, music.”

Ms Marwick said the idea of her “childhood idol” changed on that day in 2001 but she never spoke about what she described as the story “she never wanted to tell”.

“I was deeply mortified and embarrassed,” she said.

Ms Marwick said she urged her co-host who was present, never to tell anyone about the incident.

She said in addition to her embarrassment she was concerned about upsetting Mr Harris’ family.

Ms Marwick said she put it down to “inappropriate behaviour by a grubby old man”.

She said if she knew it was more than that she would have taken action.

“Had I realised that there were allegedly people of very tender years involved I would have done something about that.”

She said she was speaking out about what she claims happened on the urging of her former co-host and in order to support the alleged victims who were being subjected to rigorous cross examination”.

“Until last week, I didn’t really know people from Australia were contributing to that [the case against Rolf Harris]”.

“I can deal with this, I have dealt with this, but I have a voice,” Ms Marwick said.

“I can stand up and say at the age of 45, I couldn’t at the age of 31 or whenever it was, this is not on, it’s not on for anybody to make anybody feel that uncomfortable.

“I can’t comment on anyone else’s allegations but it’s time for me to say that I know that this man, in my case was capable of very inappropriate behaviour in a public place, in extraordinarily enough, in the company of others.”